Life and Love
by Winter Witch
Summary: Ok My second fic! this is the one you've all been waiting for! A slightly mature H/Hr fic! If you do not like H/Hr this is not the fic for you! There will be some DM/GW however, if you like that! R/R please!
1. Life and Love

A/N Ok! This is a H/Hr Fic! It's less fluffy than my last one, yes, they do tell each other how they feel, but no, not everything goes well. These are two teenagers very much in love, though the other hasn't the foggiest, that have a lot of stress piled on them. R/R please! I hope you enjoy, 'Life and Love' adieu.  
  
Harry Potter sped down the corridor, his robes billowing out behind him majestically. For the unfortunate soul who got in his way, there was a harsh, "You git!" to be heard. He rounded the last corner and snapped at the Portrait of the Fat Lady, "Bull-gizzlet!" Harry entered the staircase when the portrait swung open, the Fat Lady saying, "My! What a MOOD we're in today, Mr. Potter!"   
  
"It's HARRY!" he snarled as he bounded up the stairs, and collapsed on the nearest couch. "Finally, peace…" he muttered, closing his emerald green eyes.   
  
Hermione Granger, her nose in a book (as usual), strolled down from the Girls' Dormitory. Parvati had made a particularly nasty comment about her, and she didn't feel like facing the world. She walked to her usual place, and sat down, on the couch by the ornate lamp, not realizing that another body already occupied that space. "Oh, Harry!" she cried, having turned around to see who it was. She tossed the book aside and looked earnestly at her friend. "Are you alright? I'm terribly sorry, I didn't see you!"  
  
Harry opened his eyes sharply when he felt someone sit on his stomach, and once he realized it was Hermione, sat up coldly. "Oh, just thank you ever-so-much, Hermione!" he snapped, and thought harshly to himself 'Now why did I do that? She apologized, and just because I'm having a bad day doesn't mean I can take it out on her!'   
  
Hermione, now having sat down next to her 'best friend', bit her lip. Her eyes widened, and a single tear ran down her face. "I-I'm sorry, Harry, I really am…" she stammered, and twisted a fold of her robes in her hands. 'Now I've gone and done it, I've made him upset with me…he probably hates me right now…' she thought, another tear running down her cheek.   
  
Harry mentally kicked himself, 'She's crying you git, Hermione's crying, all because of you, all because you had to be an idiot, she's an angel and you hurt her. Look at her, she's frightened, she's upset, she's an angel and you made her CRY' Harry reached over and gently took her right hand in his, his emerald eyes searching his friend's face. "Oh, Hermione I'm so sorry, I just, haven't had the most wonderful of days…first Snape took twenty points from Gryffindor because I turned down a hall too quickly, of all things, and then Malfoy said, ugh, Malfoy just said something that I'd rather not talk about right now, he just made me sick. And ya know, despite appearances, I don't think I can handle much more of them." Her sighed, sitting back in the soft couch.   
  
Hermione smiled at Harry, wiping tears from her eyes as she wrapped him in a slightly more than friendly hug. "Oh, Harry, it's ok, I was just worried that you were mad at me…I completely understand about Snape and Malfoy, they're gits, the lot of them." she said, as she finally released him. "It's about lunch time, do you want to head down now?" she asked.   
  
Harry nodded, his ebony black hair shifting over his forehead, hiding and revealing his scar. "Besides, I couldn't be mad at you, you know too many curses…" he joked, as he rose to his feet, pulling her with him. 'Besides, you're beautiful, kind, smart, and an angel, I don't get mad at angels.' he thought to himself, hardly realizing that the words he thought were not the words of a 'best friend' but of a lover…  
  
"Right, I just might have to put s portion of polyjuice potion in your pumpkin juice…turn you permanently into Malfoy…" Hermione laughed, and slid her hand into his, walking together down the hall.   
  
"You wouldn't…" Harry grinned, and then conceded, "What am I talking about? Of course you would…so I might just have to get my revenge now…in advance…" his eyes shone with playfulness and he tickled Hermione's sides, causing her to shriek in the crowded hallway, which seemed to have parted for the Famous Harry Potter and Brilliant Hermione Granger.   
  
Hermione blushed to the roots of her hair, everyone in the hallway was now looking at them, and a few girls were giving her awful glares…because she was holding hands with the object of their affections. "Harry you git!" she whispered hastily into his ear, and slightly bent his fingers backwards.   
  
"Ah!" Harry whispered, dropping slightly when his fingers were bent. He straightened up and whispered back to her, "They all think that we're a couple…look at Evelyn, if looks could kill…you'd be dead about 50 times over!" 'I wouldn't mind for their thoughts to be justified…' he thought absentmindedly, gazing with new appreciation on his friend.   
  
"Think that much of yourself, do you?" Hermione teased, not bothering to whisper, Harry's breath tickled her neck, and sent tingles up and down her spine. 'He is so handsome…how did I not notice this before?' she asked herself, and smiled sweetly at the boy she was holding hands with.   
  
"Of course…" Harry laughed, his thoughts turning to oatmeal when she smiled, he couldn't have told you his name, where he was, or who all these people around them were if his life depended on it, all he knew was that they were there, and he was holding hands with an angel. 'An angel who couldn't like you like that even if you were the last person on earth' his mind reminded him.   
  
They took seats next to each other, Harry 'accidentally' nudging her with his elbow. This, of course, provoked a return nudge from Hermione…and so it continued until Dumbledore stood up, about to make an announcement. "Students! If you could bother listening to an old fogey, then I'd appreciate your attention. This year we shall be having a Winter Ball! In honor of Hogwarts being ranked the top school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Europe!" This provoked roars of applause from the students, and immediately talk turned to the Ball. 


	2. Talk of the Ball!

"So, Hermione, who do you want to go to the ball with?" Lavender asked, happily. She cast a quick glance at Seamus, and turned back to Hermione, a slight rose color in her cheeks. Seamus looked back at her, and grinned at Harry, giving him a thumbs up as if to say 'I'll ask her after lunch…'  
  
Hermione kept a calm appearance in spite of the fact that the first name that popped into her head was Harry. "Oh, there is someone…but I don't think he'd ask me…" she sighed thinking 'The day Harry Potter asks ME to a dance, is the day Hell freezes over…'  
  
"Really?" Harry asked, looking at his friend. "Well, there is someone that I'm thinking about MAYBE asking…but I don't know…" he trailed off, looking down at his now full plate. 'Yeah, the day Hermione Granger says yes to ME to go to a dance is the day Hell freezes over…'   
  
Draco Malfoy strode importantly over to the Gryffindor table. "Ginny? Might I have a word with you?" he asked the red-head, who immediately rose from her seat and walked off with him.   
  
Ron strolled down to a seat by Hermione, and sat down, glancing over at his sister and Malfoy. "Oy, what's my sister doing over there with Malfoy?" he spat the name Malfoy, as if it were poisonous.   
  
"We think that he's asking Ginny to the Ball…but we're not sure…" Hermione said, looking over at the couple. 'Ugh, even MALFOY is gonna have a date, but not me!'   
  
"He's doing WHAT?!" Ron cried, he clenched his fists into tight balls. "He'd better keep his mucky hands off of MY sister!" he snarled, restraining himself from going over to beat the living daylights out of him.   
  
"Honestly, Ron! Calm down, its not like she has said yes or anything, and even if she does, she can handle herself. I taught her that Leg-Lock Curse, so she'll be fine!" Hermione said gently, placing her hand on Ron's shoulder.   
  
"Its not the legs I'm worried about…it's the HANDS!" he said, glaring over at a now, very suave Malfoy. "He'd just better not hurt her…or touch her or even LOOK at her in any way that is ungentlemanly." Ron breathed, releasing his fists.   
  
Malfoy returned to the Slytherin table smugly, and Ginny who was blushing profusely, returned to her seat opposite Hermione. "Malfoy just asked be to the Winter Ball!" Ginny gushed, her eyes looking dreamy.   
  
"I bet Pansy is gonna choke when she finds out…" Harry grinned devilishly. "Now she'll have to settle for Crabbe or Goyle."  
  
"And you said YES?!" Ron said, his eyes widening in disbelief.   
  
"Yes, I did. Draco's not half bad, once you get to know him…" Ginny said, quietly.   
  
"Yeah, Well I don't want him 'getting to know' my sister!" Ron said, shooting daggers at Malfoy.   
  
Ginny excused herself, and with one tear falling from her eye, rushed towards the Gryffindor Tower. Hermione shook her head at Ron, saying gently, "Now you've gone and done it…Ginny will be crying for hours over this, she looks up to you, Ron! What you think MATTERS to her!"  
  
Harry groaned inwardly, watching Ron head towards the Library. "Well, wasn't that just lovely." he said sarcastically. "Who is this person you want to go to the Ball with?" he asked Hermione slyly, hoping she'd spill.  
  
"Well…uh…ermm…you see…" she sputtered, 'Can I really tell him'? 


	3. Seamus...

"He's uh, kind of…errmmm…sorta…" Hermione continued, but she didn't have to tell him, she was interrupted. A pretty blonde, green eyed girl approached the table. Hermione recognized her as a Hufflepuff girl.   
  
"Harry?" she asked, trying her hardest at a sweet smile. "Would you want to go to the Winter Ball with me?" She tossed her hair back over her shoulders, and waited for his response.   
  
Harry's mouth opened and closed several times, as if he was trying to speak but nothing would happen. He blushed profusely and looked up at the girl. "Errmmm, I'm sorry…but…uhhh…I um…errr…no…I'm sorry…" He said, trying to think of the nicest way to let her down, he wasn't very good at it.   
  
The blonde faux-sniffed and turned away, heading towards the Slytherin table. "Malfoy, can I ask you something?" Harry and Hermione heard her begin.   
  
"Geez, do you know who that is?" Hermione said, stifling a laugh. She ran her hand through her hair, getting it out of her eyes.   
  
"No, who is she?" Harry asked, his emerald eyes puzzled. He scratched the side of his head, as if in thought, and gazed over at the girl that was now sitting by Malfoy.   
  
"That's Helena Wright," Hermione said, and coughed, "Biggest slut in school…well, she is, next to Cho…" she teased. poking Harry in the side.   
  
"Hey, now, I don't make fun of you about Viktor anymore, so, don't make fun of me about Cho…I didn't know she was like that!" Harry defended, and returned the poke.   
  
"Oh, you do so! Just yesterday at dinner you said you wondered if Vicky would like the pudding! And then you said 'Next time he sleeps over at your house, ask him'!" Hermione said, rising to her feet and walking off towards the History of Magic classroom.   
"Oh, right, I forgot about that…but I haven't made fun of you about Vicky, I mean Viktor, at all today!" Harry laughed, following Hermione into the room.   
  
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, who are you going to ask to the Ball?" Hermione asked, watching as Harry gently let down another girl asking him to go.   
  
Harry blushed, thinking, 'Why do I get so nervous around her? Why can't I just tell her and get it over with?' "Well, I was thinking of asking…" He began, but was interrupted by Professor Binns beginning class.  
  
"Please! Take your seats, and I believe none of you will be falling asleep for THIS particular lesson…" The Ghost said. A phrase in scarlet script protruded from his wand, "Soul Mates".   
  
Parvati Patil leaned over to her friend Lavender Brown, and said, in a rough whisper. "Oh! I was waiting for this part! Not sure what it has to do with the History of Magic, but I guess this subject fit best!"  
  
Professor Binns, with his normal drawl, began the lesson. "In case any of you were wondering what Soul Mates have to do with the History of Magic, I'll tell you. Many major events in our history were influenced by the sudden realization of one's soul mate. Edric the Evil, now known as Edric the Good, was changed by his Soul Mate, Hermia the Pure, and ended up saving the once completely Magical town of Lisbon from Alric the Conqueror. Now, how do you find out if the person you are with is your Soul Mate? It is said that when you share the first kiss with this person, your minds and souls open up to each other. You see what the think, how they feel, and are telepathic with this person while the kiss lasts. Now, about Edric the Evil, he began his quest of evil deeds in…"   
  
Professor Binns had lost his audience when he stopped talking about what happened when you kissed your soul mate. Lavender and Parvati whispered excitedly about the subject, contemplating who their soul mate might be, and how to go about kissing them.   
  
'Soul Mates? Is that what Harry and I are?' Hermione thought, looking over at the boy.   
  
'Soul Mates? Is that what Hermione and I are?' Harry thought, looking over at the girl.   
  
Their eyes met, and both blushed profusely. 'I can't help but think that we are…' They each thought in unison.   
  
When the class was over, the girls had all clumped together, talking excitedly about Soul Mates, all save Hermione, that is. She walked with Ron and Harry, up to the Gryffindor Tower. Once they entered the common room, Harry and Ron sat down to play chess, Hermione watching, trying to pick up strategies.   
  
Seamus Finnigan strode nervously over to Hermione, a determined yet scared look in his eyes. "Umm, Hermione? Can I ask you something?" he asked.  
  
"Of course, Seamus, why couldn't you?" Hermione asked, not quite catching his drift.   
  
"Ok, wanttogototheballwithme?" Seamus asked, his words running together.   
  
Hermione blushed, thinking it over…'Well, Harry couldn't possibly want to ask me…so…rather than not have a date, why not?' "Sure, Seamus, I'd like that…" Hermione smiled, and Seamus, seemingly VERY relieved, bounded up the stairs to the Boys' Dormitory.   
  
Harry's, having heard the exchange, heart sunk. Now Hermione was going to the Ball with Seamus, and he didn't have a shadow of a chance. 'That's was you get for waiting too long, you should have just asked her…'  
  
Hermione felt awful, she didn't want to go to the Ball with Seamus, not that he wasn't a lovely person, she just didn't feel that sensation when she was around him, like with Harry. "Seamus?" she called, rising to her feet and walking to the base of the Boys' Dormitory stairs.   
  
Seamus came down. curiously, wondering what Hermione wanted. "Seamus, I…about the Winter Ball, I just…I can't…" She stammered, avoiding looking at him.   
  
"I understand…you don't have to explain, it's Potter, though, isn't it." Seamus said, not asking, it was a statement.   
  
Hermione blushed, then nodded…walking back out into the common room. 


	4. Soul Mates

Hermione returned to her spot watching the chess game, neither Harry nor Ron asked her about what she needed to talk to Seamus about, they respected her privacy enough for that.   
  
"Ron, who are you going to take to the Winter Ball?" Harry asked, moving a very haughty Bishop, four spaces to the right.   
  
"Oh, I asked Parvati…she said yes…" Ron said, blushing a deep crimson color.   
  
"That's nice, I hear Amethyst is going to ask you, Harry," Hermione teased, Amethyst was a very ditzy Hufflepuff third year who would kiss anything with a pulse.   
  
"She is? Oy, I hate turning people down, I'm no good at it at all…" Harry groaned.   
  
"Oh yeah, you have to do that ALL the time!" Hermione joked, lightly bopping Hermione on the head.   
  
"But of course, I mean, Harry's a marketable commodity…we could probably keep him dancing all night, and charge a sickle a dance! Nah, better make it five Knuts, we actually want people to take us up on the offer!" Ron teased, as he checkmated Harry's King.   
  
"Dangit, I lost again. Anyway, I'm worth a sickle, hey, I'm worth 2 sickles!" Harry said, puffing out his chest importantly.   
  
"Oh, don't oversize your ego, now Harry, I mean a whole two sickles!" Hermione laughed, and stood, and headed towards the Girls' Dormitory. "G'Night Harry, G'Night Ron!" Hermione said, and went to bed.   
  
In the morning, Harry lay in bed, never having gone to sleep the night before. He kept thinking about Hermione, how she looked at him, going over everything that she has said to him recently, trying to figure out if she felt the same way he did.   
  
Little did Harry know that Hermione was laying awake thinking the exact same things about him. In Hermione's dream, she had managed to get to sleep, she was dancing in Harry's arms, dancing among the clouds, life was perfect.   
  
Then it was time to get up.  
  
Hermione slowly got ready to go down for breakfast, pulling clothes out of her trunk, slipping into the black school robes. She strolled down the staircase, yawning as she did so. Much to her surprise Harry was already down there, sitting in an armchair facing the fire. "Harry?" she said softly, wondering if he was asleep.   
  
"Yeah, Herm?" He responded, beckoning for her to come sit in the chair by his. 'I probably look like a loony, just sitting here staring at the flames.   
  
Hermione quickly walked over to the chair, and sat down gently. "What are you doing down here so early?" she asked, tilting her head to look at him.  
  
"I couldn't get to sleep last night…so I just came down here when it was a half decent hour. What about you?" Harry said, looking at his friend. The light from the fire seemed to form a halo around her head, making her look even more like an angel.   
  
"Oh, I'm usually up this early, haven't you ever noticed that I'm usually down here before you?" Hermione said, smiling sweetly.  
  
"Oh, yeah…" Harry said flustered. She was smiling at him…and he couldn't think. 'Um, well, at least I didn't say that I was thinking about her all night…that was good I suppose…'  
  
(A/N Ok! I, the author, cal into effect the ALMIGHTY TIME WARP PRINCIPLE! This means I can skip to ANY point in time, to resume this story! For this, it is the evening of the Winter Ball, its about a half hour before the festivities…so…yeah…ENJOY!)  
  
The Girls' Dormitory was alive with girls finishing make up, doing the last-minute touches to their hair, and making absolutely sure that their dress-robes were nice enough.   
  
Among these, oddly enough, was Hermione Granger, a girl who had never shown ANY taste for anything that had to do with usual sixteen year old girl things. The ice-blue dress robes she wore accented her figure perfectly, the cloth hung at just the right angle to make her innocently alluring. Her hair was partially and loosely clipped back, and it hung in loose, beautiful curls. Her eye shadow and mascara gave her eyes a bright, yet silvery look, and the silver snowflake that hung around her neck finished the picture. She looked the part to be the Winter Faerie, all she was missing were wings, and if you first saw her just now, you would think they'd have simply sprouted from her back.   
  
"And then Seamus came and asked ME to go to the dance with him, isn't that wonderful, Hermione!" Lavender said, as she smoothed her robes out for the last time.   
  
"I'm so happy for you, you two make the most adorable couple I've seen…" Hermione said, smiling at her friend.   
  
"You never seem to care much for these things, why the change of heart? Oh I know…you're hoping to impress someone…now who could it be? Ron? No, you argue way too much…Dean? No, you never talk. Neville! No, you wouldn't stoop to that level…I know…it's Harry!" she said, and whispered the last name. Lavender always had a knack for these things, even if it took her a couple of tries.   
  
"How did you know?" Hermione asked, blushing softly.   
  
"Oh, these things are usually pretty obvious to me. But, Hermione, you do know who he brought, don't you?" Lavender said, biting her lip.   
  
"He-He brought someone?" Hermione whispered, as she and Lavender walked down the corridor towards the Great Hall.   
  
"Yes, she's…well…you'll see…" Lavender said, as she rushed off to find Seamus.   
  
Hermione stood there, a Winter Goddess, as the couples danced around her. She searched the crowd, looking for Harry. She saw a flash of green robes, Harry had always worn green before…yes, it was Him. Hermione was just about to start over towards him when she saw who he was dancing with, Alisha Glass.   
  
Alisha Glass was a Slytherin girl with brown hair, green eyes, and impossible curves. She was yet another one of those girls who would kiss anyone with a pulse.   
  
Hermione's eyes filled with pain and confusion when she saw them, and just then Harry made eye contact with her.   
  
'I wonder why she isn't with Seamus…oh look, he's there with Lavender…' Harry thought, as the song ended and his date moved towards the refreshments.   
  
Hermione simply watched the spot where Harry and Alisha had been dancing, her legs felt weak as if she couldn't stand anymore, and she dropped. There she sat, beautiful, majestic, magical, and her heart was breaking into a million pieces.   
  
Harry rushed to his friend when she dropped, "Hermione!" he cried, and put his hands at her waist, lifting her up. "Are you alright? Where's Seamus?" he asked, concern gleaming in his eyes. 'God, she's beautiful, why'd she have to be so beautiful? Maybe she'd be easier to get over if she weren't…what am I saying, she could be a hag and I'd still need her.' Harry thought.  
  
"I-I'm fine, I broke my date with Seamus, and he asked Lavender. What are YOU doing here with ALISHA?" Hermione asked, pain in her eyes.   
  
Harry almost smiled at the question, she was jealous. "I thought you were going to be where with Seamus, so rather than be dateless I said yes to Alisha…" Harry explained. The music started up again, a slow song. "May I have this dance?" He asked, and bowed.   
  
Hermione smiled a heart-stopping smile and took his hand. "Of course," she said happily.   
  
The music played on and they danced, they danced around the room, and stopped in the dead center. Suddenly it felt as if the music had stopped, though it hadn't, it felt like no one else was there, though they were. All that mattered was that they were there, in each other's arms.  
  
Harry leaned in towards Hermione, and their lips touched, all of the sudden their was this explosion inside them. Their hearts opened up to the person they shared the kiss with.   
  
'I can't believe this is happening…' Harry thought with awe.  
  
'Neither can I…' Hermione thought.  
  
'Wait a minute, this means we're-'  
  
'Soul Mates…but doesn't it feel right?'  
  
'Yeah, it does, but…I don't want to let go of this…'  
  
'We never have to…we're soul mates…and we can always be together…'  
  
They released their kiss, and simply stared into their Soul Mate's eyes.  
  
"I love you…" Harry said… running his hand through Hermione's hair.  
  
"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that…I love you too…" Hermione said, and kissed his hand. 


End file.
